Sun says he is not aware of a notice that was lodged on the hazardous nature of the building. He says the Gauteng government had a report on the building which the city only saw on Wednesday, following the fire.

“The owners or occupants of the building need to take responsibility for the safety of the building. What is concerning to us is the interim report of possible material being stored in the building which could add to the fire,” he adds.

Gauteng MEC of Infrastructure Development Jacob Mamabolo says they are awaiting a much more detailed report on assessments conducted on eight other government buildings.

He has confirmed that the building in the Joburg CBD, which houses the departments of health, human settlements and cooperative governance, did not comply with the occupational health and safety standards.

Mamabolo says according to an assessment report they received in August – the building was at 21% level of compliance and by law the building should have been above 85% level of compliance.

An eNCA journalist has reported that staff just last week said they did not feel safe in the building.

She tweeted photos of missing ceiling boards which has left cables exposed.